Article from Internet - Published a year back

Being a garden enthusiast, I would love to prepare my rasam or Sāmbhar using the chillies and tomatoes grown in my own little garden. Going by the saying ‘What you grow is what you eat’; I find this as the only way to counter the health hazards of chemical poisons in fruits and veggies.   

Luckily, I happened to meet Mrs Devaki Ragavan, an urban horticulturist recently who grows her own veggies in pots and drums on her terrace. Setting aside her apprehensions about space and time, she started off terrace gardening as a hobby and has around 70 varieties of veggies now!   

Says the proud Devaki: “Gardening is my passion. Hailing from Kerala, I naturally had the love for plants. But after marriage, I had to move to Chennai. I lived amidst a concrete jungle and could barely find some greenery. With the little space I had at home, I raised a small veggie garden on the terrace.”

If this has got you kicked about starting a terrace garden, here are some of the tips given by Devaki.

Most people think that terrace garden is an expensive affair. But it doesn’t have to be. The trick is to start small and then expand.

Devaki elaborates – You can grow any kind of vegetables like tomato, ladies finger, brinjal, spinach, raw banana, chilly and bitter gourd in your garden depending upon the size of your terrace.  I have even planted fruits like orange, grapes, lime, pomegranate and banana.

How should you prepare?

• Devaki suggests to first water proof the terrace flooring before setting up the garden. Besides reducing the heat level of your plant it will also prevent leaking of your roofs.

• Hybrid seeds are generally treated and are best suited for terrace garden. You can purchase them from nurseries.

• It is best to prepare your own manure to avoid additional costs. You can prepare it using your kitchen wastes. The soil mixture should contain vermicompost, coco pit, river soil and red soil in the ratio 2:2:1:1along with the seeds.

• It is better to not add much of weight to the floor. Devaki says that one of the most efficient and inexpensive way to plant greenery in your terrace is by using plastic bags or plastic buckets.

• Devaki also shared an interesting tip. You can call up the horticulture officials and frame a plan for a terrace garden. In fact, they will provide you the whole garden kit (plastic bags, soil materials, shelter materials, pots .

• Devaki paid around Rs. 20,000 to set up her terrace garden. The initial investment might look huge, but given a thought the benefits are aplenty, she assures.
• Devaki goes on to speak about maintaining creepers. If you have creepers, tie them to a rope for support.

  Having a garden at home will keep your house cooler. So, if you want to grow a green thumb, follow Devaki’s tips to set up your own terrace garden. I am now all set to start one at my home!